2 THE NELSON LEADER, FEBRUARY 14, 2013
OPINION
FOWLER HOMES NEW DESIGN AND
BUILD STORE OPENING SOON
5140556AB
Start Your Design Process Today
Visit the Fowler Homes Design
and Build Store 253 Queen Street
18 Offices Nationwide
www.fowlerhomes.co.nz
Call us now: 544 - 5574
Contact us!
Reporters:
Nelson 03 546 2833 Richmond 03 543 9601
Motueka 03 528 1263
fax:
03 546 2705
email: theleader@nelsonmail.co.nz
Advertising:
Nelson 03 546 2835 Richmond 03 543 9626
Motueka 03 528 1270 Classifieds 03 548 0119
fax
03 546 2705
email: simonec@nelsonmail.co.nz
Having problems with your community paper delivery?
email: info@nelsonmail.co.nz
phone: 0800 800 515 and let us know.
This means if you place your advert
into all 3 papers 59,000 people will be reading!
No other local Media can give you this sort of coverage!
Nelson & Richmond Leader Readership - 49,000 people per week
Motueka Golden Bay News Readership - 15,000 people per week
NELSON
CITY
Richmond
Motueka
Nelson Lakes
Murchison
Collingwood
Farewell Spit
Rai Valley
French Pass
D'urville Island
F
59,000
4789827AA
Reach a whopping
78%
of the Nelson
Tasman Region!
Cycling's a nice way
to start the day
February is Bike Wise
Month so this week
The Leader asked
Bicycle Nelson Bays
member John-Paul
Pochin to share his
thoughts on pedal
power.
Commuters: Bicycle Nelson Bays member John-Paul Pochin and daughter Megan on the family tandem.
Photo: MATT LAWREY
'
Unfortunately, humans can
be reckless, and some just
happen to be cycling at the
time.
'
John-Paul Pochin
Itake my youngest daughter
to school on a tandem bike
most days.
I really enjoy this time we
have cycling together; it's very
much shared time.
I know exactly how long it will
take to get from A to B regard-
less of the traffic (under 10
minutes from The Wood to
Hampden Street School) and I
don't have the frustration of
finding somewhere to park when
I get there.
Additionally, these short trips
allow me to maintain a mini-
mum level of fitness.
On the other hand, when I
drive my daughter to school I
feel more like a taxi service.
I generally arrive frustrated,
the time I've spent in the car
feels like wasted time and
unless I drive home and pick up
my bike, I have to pay to park at
the office.
I start my day in a completely
different, and somewhat nega-
tive, mood.
I'm keen to show the positive
side of cycling and get away
from the car verses bike rhetoric
that fuels resentment on both
sides.
It's worth noting that most
cyclists are motorists too.
Often cyclists are viewed as
different and some people focus
on behaviour they see as reck-
less.
Unfortunately, humans can be
reckless, and some just happen
to be cycling at the time.
People often try to take short-
cuts and don't always take the
safest option.
When driving do we always
stick to the speed limit, stop at
an orange light and indicate
before turning?
As pedestrians do we always
use crossings or even look before
walking into the road?
I believe that increasing the
number of cyclists in this region
will have a positive impact on
the standard of living of the peo-
ple who live here.
One day I hope that Nelson
will be a showcase for the rest of
the country, and the rest of the
world, and not just in regard to
cycling, although I believe that's
a very big part of the solution,
but in many aspects.
I'd love tourists to come to
Nelson and take back ideas of
how towns could be.
Bicycle Nelson Bays is a cycle
advocacy group. To find out more
visit bnb.org.nz or look them up
on Facebook.